Finish roll guard



Feb. 13, 1968 Y R. Q. WHAL Y 3,368,524

FINISH ROLL GUARD FIG. I F'iled July 13, 196? FIG 2 INVENTOR ROBERT o. WHALEY BY WZM ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,368,524 FINISH ROLL GUARD Robert Q. Whaley, Kinston, N.C., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 13, 1966, Ser. No. 564,795 1 Claim. (Cl. 118-244) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In an apparatus for the production of synthetic filaments in which downwardly moving filaments are drawn across a rotating finish-applicator roll prior to wind-up, the improvement of a yarn deflector guard mounted above and in lateral proximity to the finish roll, the guard being in the normal free-fall path of the filaments to deflect loose filaments outwardly away from the finish roll to prevent filament wraps on the roll.

This invention relates to continuous production of synthetic filaments and, more particularly, to means for more eflicient production of synthetic filaments through reduction in frequency of filament wraps on rotating apparatus elements.

In the production of continuous synthetic filaments, it is known to apply a lubricating finish and, optionally, a static-inhibiting liquid composition to the surface of the filaments. Such topical application reduces substantially the mechanical damage incurred in passage over guide surfaces, around rotating rolls, etc. One means for applying such materials comprises a rotating roll, partially immersed in a pool of the composition against which the continuously running bundle of filaments or yarn passes. Such rotating rolls will occasionally pick up a broken filament or, when an individual break occurs, an entire multifilament yarn bundle. Pick-up of a yarn is encountered when start-up of a position is not accomplished properly and the yarn is allowed to break back to a point upstream from the finish roll. As the extrusion of filaments continues, they fall against and are wrapped on the rotating roll. Such wraps are troublesome to remove and may necessitate interruption of production from more than a single spinning position if more than one finish roll is driven by an individual drive.

A means for preventing contact between freely falling filaments and the finish roll would lead to substantial improvement in over-all spinning-machine efiiciency.

This invention provides a simple but effective means for substantially preventing contact between the freely falling filaments of a spinning position and the finish roll while permitting normal running contact between the finish roll and yarn during normal production. Other advantages will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

These and other advantages are provided by the improvement of this invention in apparatus for the pro duction of continuous synthetic filaments in which the shaped filaments, while moving downwardly, are drawn across a rotating finish-applicator roll prior to wind-up; the improvement comprising a yarn deflector guard mounted above and in lateral proximity to the finish roll, the normal yarn path being between the finish-applicator roll and said deflector guard, to the effect that filaments falling freely on the upper surface of said deflector guard will be deflected outwardly and thereby fail to contact the finish roll, thus preventing filament wraps thereon.

3,368,524 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 In the drawing of an embodiment of the invention, FIGURES 1 and 2 schematically represent side and front elevations of a single spinning position.

Filaments 1 emerging from shaping orifices of spinneret 2 are drawn in a generally vertical direction by windup schematically represented by 3. The filaments contact several stationary or rotating surfaces between extrusion at 2 and wind-up at 3, as indicated by finish roll 4, partially immersed in finish bath 5, guide 6, feed roll 7, and guides 8 and 9. Application of a lubricant and an antistat by finish roll 4 protects against mechanical damage which otherwise would result from cont-act with the surfaces illustrated by 6 through 9. When a break in a thread-line occurs down-stream from feed wheel 7, it frequently will wrap on the feed wheel, posing a relatively simple problem of wrap removal, since this is typically a cantilevered roll. If the wrap does not occur on roll 7, or if the break occurs upstream from roll 7, the freely falling filaments 1 may contact finish roll 4 and wrap thereon. A wrap on this roll is more difiicult to remove since the finish roll generally is not cantilevered. Further, it is typical to drive the finish rolls of a plurality of spinning positions by a single motor drive. Thus production of a plurality of positions is atiected by a wrap on one finish roll. Under normal spinning conditions, filaments 1 are restrained by guide 6 to pass tangentially across finish roll 4, running behind deflector guard 10. It can be visualized that freely-falling filaments will not find their way through the relatively narrow opening behind the guard, and will, therefore, be deflected from contact with the finish roll.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the deflector guard of this invention may take a variety of forms while remaining within the spirit and scope of this invention. Depending on the operational requirements of a specific installation, it may be advantageous to mount the guard permanently, using means available in the art to thread the running end behind the slot in the normal thread line. In other situations, it may be desirable to provide for easy removal of the guard by hand during string-up. For still other applications it may be more convenient to hinge the guard onto the machine. It may be placed in one or the other of its two positions manually, or means may be provided for automatic return to the operating position after moving for string-up. It is intended, therefore, that this invention be limited only by the claim which follows.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for the production of synthetic filaments in which downwardly moving filaments are drawn across a rotating finish-applicator roll prior to wind-up, the improvement of a yarn deflector guard mounted above and in lateral proximity to the finish roll, the guard being on the side of the path of the drawn filaments away from the finish roll and in the normal free-fall path of at least some of the filaments to deflect loose filaments outwardly away from the finish roll to prevent filament wraps on the roll.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,302,814 11/1942 Sunderland et a1. 1l8234 2,526,848 10/1950 Campbell 118244 X 2,873,718 2/ 1959 Brautigam 1l'8--234 3,288,107 11/ 1966 Conrad 118244 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. R. I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

